


Learning to Be

by ketomax



Series: What Does It Mean To Be Human? [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Gavin Reed, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gen, Trans Gavin Reed, connor being a sweetheart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 20:56:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15781956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ketomax/pseuds/ketomax
Summary: Gavin is trying to figure out how to live again after his brother saved his life. What is it to be human?





	Learning to Be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rhody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhody/gifts).



No matter how much Gavin tried he couldn’t get over how uncomfortable it was to have Elijah rooting around _inside_ his chest. He could see wires, bits of plastic, bits of metal- if androids could feel nauseous this was it. He eventually had to avert his gaze trembling a little, and Elijah seemed to pick up on it.

“Sorry. I have to make sure you’re functioning okay. I didn’t manage to iron out all the kinks before I had to use this project of mine,” Elijah murmured before holding a screwdriver in his mouth and reconnecting a wire that made Gavin’s entire body tingle like static.

He squirmed a little, his skin suddenly feeling that much more tactile and alive. “K-Kinks huh? You better not have made me attracted to feet or some shit like that.”

Elijah didn’t expect that and dropped the screwdriver, the clattering of it against the metal lab table lightening the situation somewhat. “Oh, Gavin jesus… that’s not what I meant. Besides, whatever you were into before you’re still into but honestly I never made my brother’s fetishes my own personal knowledge for good reason.”

“You don’t have to call me Jesus, bro…” he preened a little, his usual sarcasm was still rife and seeing those tears of joy and relief in Elijah’s eyes made it all worth it. God, he must have been so fucking frightened seeing him die like that.  The image of his own dead body was still burned into his mind, laying there riddled with gunshot wounds and blood everywhere. He was roused from his haunting memory when Elijah clicked his chest plate closed and watched the skin reform. “…oh, hey, you still kept my scars.”

He handed Gavin the black and white shirt, trying his best to ignore the PL600 text on the righthand side. “We’ll get you something better soon and well, yeah of course I did… they’re part of who you are. Sticking you in a _tin can_ without making it look as close to you as possible would just be cruelty now wouldn’t it?” Elijah hummed and helped him off the lab table. He was oddly sombre for a moment before squeezing Gavin’s hand tightly. “Gavin… If you don’t want this. You can just tell me. I didn’t have time to ask before, I just did what I felt I had to do but if this isn’t- I mean, if you hate androids that much…”

Gavin stared at him quietly, LED flickering yellow as he was caught in thought. He stared Elijah down, confused for a second before he nodded. “…I’m not gonna lie to you Elijah I don’t like how it makes me feel. I don’t like what people are gonna think of me, nobody is gonna treat me the same and I don’t know if I can live with being… a machine.” His LED flickered red now, clearly in distress. Elijah opened his mouth to reply, but Gavin cut him off and carried on. “…but seeing my dead body in there makes me feel even more uncomfortable. I _died_ Elijah, and fuck, if my brother was anybody else I’d have fucking stayed that way. As much as I hate being some kinda walking talking chip and pin machine I sure as hell would have hated being dead even more.” Gavin pulled Elijah into a tight hug and shook a little. “I’m fucking scared, man.”

Elijah held him tightly, hand stroking the back of his neck like he used to do when they were kids and he thought nobody was looking. “You might be a machine, mechanically speaking… but you’re human in here.” He tapped his head gesturing to all his memories. “And nobody can take that away from you. Nobody controls you, you’re independent, and believe me nobody is going to give you hell when you head back to the precinct.”

It took a few days for Gavin to get comfortable with his new body, Elijah had a series of diagnostic activities for him to try and they ranged from mundane to embarrassing.

 

“Shit, that’s hot.” Gavin quickly withdrew his hand from the tub of hot water, and put it into the ice cold one, shaking, “Nnnh now that’s fucking cold.”

“Ow- ow fuck that’s spicy, don’t fucking like that at all.” He pulled a face as he looked at Elijah who was laughing holding his takeout curry.

“Three bullseyes in a row, ain’t this ya know, kinda cheating?” Gavin snorted as he retrieved the darts from the board, the bullseye space almost entirely disintegrated at this point.

“You want me to _what_?” Gavin had to ask twice, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Even Elijah looked embarrassed to ask. He just shoved him into a room and could tell by Gavin’s face twenty minutes later it was a success. The blush on his cheeks and the refusal to meet Elijah’s eyes said it all. “… _okay okay that’s fucking cool_.” Gavin conceded to his brother’s design on that front.

 

Over the course of the week, Gavin had gotten a little more used to his android body. Elijah liked how the LED linked to Gavin’s mood much better than any other model he’d made, a few extra colours to help indicate the humanity that lay beneath the plasteel and silicone. Green was confusion, orange was irritation, and pink was love. He’d seen it one night sat on the sofa, just enjoying time together when Gavin closed his eyes and his LED had fluttered pink for the briefest of time. That alone was enough to validate his decision, to give Gavin that second chance.

The day came for Gavin to go back to the precinct and he was assured by Fowler himself that nothing would change although he couldn’t find it within himself to believe that. Elijah had insisted on coming with him, which made him more anxious, but he couldn’t tell him that. He stood outside the door, dressed in clothes that he used to wear albeit with a handsewn (who knew Elijah could sew?) model number on the right-hand side of the hoodie in golden thread. He looked like Gavin, he talked and walked and swore like Gavin, but would any of them truly believe it was him? Gavin swallowed as he held his hand out, activating the ID panel which blinked green before letting him into the building. He took his first step inside, then another, then another until he was making his usual route out of habit around the corner into the precinct.

What he saw he didn’t expect at all.

“Welcome back, Gavin!” the entire precinct was waiting for him, banners and balloons and even a few of those stupidly dorky conical party hats. Everyone- literally everyone was here, and Gavin stood awestruck as Elijah stuck a party hat on him tears threatening to fall from his eyes. They all cheered for him. _For him_.

Gavin quickly wiped his eyes, his LED flashing green and pink and yellow, a range of emotions he wasn’t ready for. “A-Aaah…” he sniffed a little, “G-Guys…”

“We heard about what happened and… it was incredibly brave of you.” Connor stood there with a wide smile, the first to come and speak to Gavin. “I have nothing but respect for you, Gavin. I hope we can set aside our past differences and…”

Gavin grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into a hug, “Fuck, I’m sorry for all that shit I said to you. I ain’t gonna be like that anymore, you got that?”

“I have no doubt detective.” Connor smiled and adjusted Gavin’s party hat and gestured to the man’s desk, “Look, your favourite.”

Gavin’s eyes followed the android’s hand and smiled, a box of his favourite donuts was left on his desk and he grinned widely. He made a beeline and quickly picked one up, eating as naturally as any human would do. “Mmph, fuck, these are still really good. God damn.” Gavin turned around to the entire precinct watching him and he snorted, “Alright alright, enough gawking, get back to work.” He laughed and shook his head, watching them all disperse. God it was nice to feel appreciated, wanted, and accepted. So what if he had an android body, he was still the same Gavin inside.

“Thanks, Eli…” Gavin turned to look at his brother.

“No, thank you, Gav.” He looped an arm around his shoulders, smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for the comment that inspired me to write more! I love you guys <3
> 
> Shoutout to the DBH BB discord yo


End file.
